AFP: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said on Wednesday that his team “was not expecting” the warm reception they have received in India, claiming “it’s like we are at home”.Babar and the Pakistan squad landed in Hyderabad under tight security last week for two warm-up matches before they kickstart their tournament against the Netherlands at the same venue yesterday.
“I think the hospitality was nice – we were not expecting this, but I think the way people are responding towards our team, everyone enjoyed it,” Babar said.
Pakistan will take on India at Ahmedabad’s 132,000-capacity stadium on October 14.”We are a week in Hyderabad so it is not like we are in India, it is like we are home. I think it’s a golden opportunity for everyone to give their 100 percent and enjoy the tournament.”
India and Pakistan are bitter adversaries with longstanding political tensions.The teams only play cricket against each other in international tournaments.
Pakistan last toured India for the 2016 T20 World Cup and for nearly all the players it’s a first trip to Indian shores.”The moment we landed in Hyderabad, the way people welcomed us from the airport to the hotel and even on the ground in the last (warm-up) match, we felt good,” said Azam.
But he added: “It would have been better if we had fans from our side. We will hope to get such support in every match, in every stadium, in every match.”